Orthodontic fitting



Feb. 1, 1966 M. WALLSHEIN 3,231,975

ORTHODONTIC FITTING Filed March 7. 1961 I FIG.6

FIGS

INVENTQR, MELVIN WALLSH EIN,

ATTORN EY.

United States Patent Filed Mar. 7, 1961, Ser. No. 105,249

' 8 Claims. (CI. 32-14) The present invention relates to improved orthodontic brackets for suporting arch wires and for engaging supported arch wires as attachments thereon.

An objectof this invention is to provide a novel and improved orthodontic bracket in which the arch wire is easily mounted, and though easily removed therefrom, such wire is held against accidental removal as might otherwise be caused by food being chewed or by the fingering-of the arch wire. When the arch wire is set into the bracket, it stays in.

' Another object thereof is to provide a novel and improved orthodontic bracket construction in which the arch wire can be positioned to lie in any desired direction and thereby stress the arch wire to create a torsional fcircvwhiclr will accomplish tooth movement toward proper alignment.

Afurther object is to provide a bracket of the character mentioned, which can accommodate more than one arch wire at a time and have the attributes set forth.

'1 Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved orthodontic bracket which can impose'forces on the arch wire.

A further object is to provide a novel and improved appliance for attachment to a mounted arch wire.

Another object thereof is to provide novel and improved items for the purposes mentioned which can engage a mounted arch wire as an attachment therefor and when on tooth-encircling band's, serve as brackets for supporting an arch wire. These'items are reasonable in cost, simple to manufacture, easy to use and efiicient in carrying out the purposes for which they are designed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this disclosure proceeds. I

For practices of this invention, I use a substantial part of a turn, or one or more turns of a coil spring of any suitable cross-sectionalformandweld or otherwise suitablysecure such piece to a tooth-encircling band when I Want them to be supporting brackets, or use such piece as is, for attachment to 'a mounted arch Wire. Aswill be shown, these'pieces may be provided with radial notches for locating and supporting an arch wire or to determine their location on an arch wire and in some instances the wire is laid through notches which are in angular relation on said piece, whereupon forces will be irriposedon the arch wiref In other embodiments, no notches are used and special formations may be provided in adjacent turns to avoid accidental dis-assoc iation of the arch wire from the bracket.

A more detailed description will now be given of various embodiments of this invention for which purpose I will refer to the accompanying drawing which is part of this specification and in which drawing, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side view of a patients upper teeth about which an orthodontic arch wire or cable is shown mounted on brackets embodying teachings of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one form of bracket taught herein shown on a tooth band. Here, the coil spring component is of less than one complete turn and an arch wire is shown mounted thereon.

FIG. 3 is a side view of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the device shown in FIG. 2 in a different arrangement. Here, the arch wire is so to support the arch wire.

mounted that a torsional force is imposed thereon by the bracket.

FIG. 5 is a front view of a bracket on a band. Here, the bracket is a coil spring component of one and a fraction turns and its ends are formed to avoid accidental disassociation of the arch wire even it it leaves the locating notches provided in said component.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a front view of a modified form of bracket on a tooth band. Here, the bracket comprises two coil spring elements of the type shown in FIG. 2; said elements being shown integral as is preferable.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of this invention uisng a coil spring component of several turns. The use of said component is illustrated in a bracket construction to support an arch wire and also as an attachment to be applied to a mounted arch wire.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the fitting used as an attachment onto a mounted arch wire, set thereon after manipulation of the fitting as will be set forth.

In the drawing, the numeral 15 designates generally an orthodontic fitting for supporting an arch wire 16.

It comprises a band 17 for tightly encircling a tooth 18,

said band carrying an element which serves as a bracket Such bracket may be a coil spring 19 of few turns, or one of a turn and a fraction as 20 or even less than one complete turn as shown at 21. One free end region of such coil piece is in each instance welded or otherwise secured onto the face of the band as shown for instance at 19', 20' or 21. Where the coil piece is of more than one turn, the weld may be anywhere on the turn adjacent the band. In any instance, loop-s may be formed as at 14 and where possible also as at 14' to provide seats for welding to the tooth band. In each of the bracket structures herein shown,

the axis of the spning coil piece is substantially perpendicular to the band wall. When the coil is of one or more turns, it is evident without further illustration that the coil axis may be in any desired angular reother than of circular form.

Where the bracket coil piece is of plural turns, there may -be radially directed notches 22 or serrations 12' in the face of a turn which is next to another turn of such coil. A pair of opposite notches between turns, as 22',

22" are in alignment along the horizontal in the assembly. Other pairs as 122', 122" are along a line inangular relation to horizontal, if same are included. Where the bracket piece is of one and a small fraction of a turn as 20 or less as 21, the front face of the turn may have a radial notch shown at 23 as in FIG. 2 and at 24 in FIG. 5, while the rear face of such turn has a radial notchas shown at 25 and 26. Notches 23 and 25 are in hori- Zontal alignment and so are the notches 24 and 26. The rear face may also have other notches as 27, 28, 29, 30.

To mount the arch wire 16 in the bracket 21, the free end 31 is sprung forward from the band with a pick or other suitable tool and the wire laid through the notches 23, 25. Then the tool is removed therefrom whereupon the wire will be positioned and held in place. If it is intended to create a force on the wire, it is laid in the notch 23 and in the notch 27 as shown in FIG. 4, or in the notch 28, depending upon the direction the impending force due to the stressing of the bracket is required to act. All coil pieces being of material having some resilient quality, it is evident that in FIG. 4, the piece 21 will be tensed. The possible manners of mounting the arch wire in the brackets 19 and 19' are evident without further explanation.

In FIG. 6, the end portions 31, 32 of the coil piece 20, are bent to be parallel to each other, but in angular relation to the plane of such piece 20. This avoids accidental dis-association of the arch wire from the coil, should said wire leave the notches. It is to be noted that where the coil spring element is at least one turn and preferably a turn and a fraction, the notches may be omitted and said element may serve to hold the arch wire supported therethrough, especially so when the internal diameter of the turn is substantially that of the arch Wire.

Though in the preferred embodiments shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, two contact regions with the arch wire are shown as sufficient, I offer use of a two loop unit 119' as in FIG. 7 which employs two formations 21" of the type shown in FIG. 2, but made integral by a bridge piece 12 for welding attachment to the band. In this instance, both free ends 33', 33" are sprung forwardly to admit the arch wire to lie through four notches.

The coil pieces 19 and 20 may serve per se as attachments to a mounted arch wire for use in orthodontia; said pieces being clamped on such wire as anchorage for elastic bands or other force-exerting appurtenances to exercise an influence on teeth to be aligned as is well known in the practice. In such instances such pieces may be formed with an end hook 33 or an eye form. As to the multi-turn coil pieces 19 or 119, the arch wire may be carried and located across the coil in the notches or the serrations, by having the arch wire set between turns of the coil piece. It is evident that upon pinching the hook ends 33, 33", the coil turns will separate at a diametrically opposite region of the coil, thus facilitating entrance and removal from the arch wire. The hooks 33, 33 and the eyes or crimps as 14, which latter serve as welding seats, may be included in any of the embodiments where applicable as will be readily understood to those versed in the art without further illustration. Although not shown, it will likewise be readily understood that a stronger clamping action can be attained by using two coil springs of such sizes that one can be screwed into the other, in which set up the arch wire will lie through notches across the coil turns in both such associated coil spring pieces.

This invention is capable of numerous forms and various applications without departing from the essential feature herein disclosed. It is therefore intended and desired that the embodiments shown herein shall be deemed merely illustrative and not restrictive and that the patent shall cover all patentable novelty herein set forth; reference being had to the following claims rather than to the specific description herein to indicate the scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. An orthodontic system consisting of a tooth band, a bracket means mounted on said tooth band, and an arch wire engaged by said bracket means, the improvement being in that said bracket means comprises a circular resilient coil element of a circumference greater than that of a semi-circle, the plane of said element being tangential to said tooth band, one end of said element being secured to said band and the other end being free to allow stressing of said element, spaced positioning means on opposite sides of said element, said arch wire being engaged by one of said positioning means between said element in its stressed position on one side thereof and said tooth band, and said wire further abutting the other positioning means on the other side of said element.

2. An orthodontic system as defined in claim 1, wherein each positioning means is provided by a notch in said element.

3. An orthodontic system as defined in claim 1, including an additional positioning means on said element on said one side thereof, and spaced from said one positioning means which is on said one side of said element; said wire being selectively engagable by the positioning means which are on said one side of said element, while engaged in said other positioning means which is on said other side of said element.

4. An orthodontic system as defined in claim 3, wherein each positioning means is provided by a notch in said element.

5. An orthodontic system as defined in claim 1, wherein said coil element comprises one and a predetermined fraction turns, the end portions of said element being substantially parallel to each other and in angular relation to the plane of said one turn.

6. An orthodontic system consisting of corrective means having an orthodontic wire and a fitting means mounted upon said wire, the improvement being in that said fitting comprises a resilient coil spring means having a plurality of turns, and spaced positioning means on the adjoining surfaces of said turns, said wire being clamped between said turns and held in position by said positioning means and hook means on at least one end of said coil spring means.

7. An orthodontic system as defined in claim 6, wherein each positioning means is provided by a notch in said spring means.

8. An orthodontic system as defined in claim 6, wherein there is a hook means on each end of said coil spring means; said hooks being opposite each other and in spaced relation.

References (Iited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 90,998 6/ 1869 DHeureuse 24-13l 99,475 2/ 1870 Rhinelander 2-6761 1,000,645 8/1911 Nieuwkerk 267-61 1,045,743 11/1912 Price 267-6l 2,663,114 12/1953 Warner 24-131 2,670,197 2/1954 Morse 2671 2,921,371 1/1960 Wallshein 3214 2,971,258 2/1961 Bien 3214 3,028,671 4/ 1962 Berger 32-14 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT E. MORGAN, Examiner. 

1.AN ORTHODONTIC SYSTEM CONSISTING OF A TOOTH BAND, A BRACKET MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID TOOTH BAND, AND AN ARCH WIRE ENGAGED BY SAID BRACKET MEANS, THE IMPROVEMENT BEING IN THAT SAID BRACKET MEANS COMPRISES A CIRCULAR RESILIENT COIL ELEMENT OF A CIRCUMFERENCE GREATER THAN THAT OF A SEMI-CIRCLE, THE PLANE OF SAID ELEMENT BEING TANGENTIAL TO SAID TOOTH BAND, ONE END OF SAID ELEMENT BEING SECURED TO SAID BAND AND THE OTHER END BEING FREE TO ALLOW STRESSING OF SAID ELEMENT, SPACED POSITIONING MEANS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID ELEMENT, SAID ARCH WIRE BEING ENGAGED BY ONE OF SAID POSITIONING MEANS BETWEEN SAID ELEMENT IN ITS STRESSED POSITION ON ONE SIDE THEREOF AND SAID TOOTH BAND, AND SAID WIRE FURTHER ABUTTING THE OTHER POSITIONING MEANS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID ELEMENT. 